1. a ruler who has complete power over a country, especially one who has obtained control by force
2. a person who tells others what to do in an authoritarian way
Usage: informal

Examples

• The dictator ruled the country for over twenty years.
• Citizens lived in fear under the brutal dictator’s regime.
• The military overthrew the dictator in a coup.
• She accused her boss of being a dictator who never listened to suggestions.
• The dictator banned all opposition parties and free speech.
• Many people fled the country to escape the dictator’s oppression.